Convertible furniture.



'I'. H. HENNING CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE.

` A BELIOATIQN FILED APB.2, 1909. 931,304, Patented Angl?, 1909.

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CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED Amm, 1909.

Patented Aug. 1'?, 1909.

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CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE.

Application ed April 2,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. HENNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and usetul Improvements in Convertible Furniture,of which the following is a specification.

i/Iy present invention relates to convertible furniture of that typewhich in a closed position forms a davenport seat, and in an openposition forms a bed or a'table, the bed or table portion ot' thestructure forming the back of the davenport o1' seat.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, thestructure being shown as a combined davenport and bed in Figures 1, 2, 3and 4 and as combined davenport and table in Fig.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art the change from the hedto a table structure is merely the addition ot a table top to the movingtrame which carries the springs in the bed structure and such changes inproportion and dimension as the requirements or" use occasion. The tabletop might `be permanently or temporarily attached, and

the bed springs might be omitted entirely or not as desired.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the structure in thedavenport position; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the structure in thebed position, the bed springs, mattress, etc., being omitted forpurposes ot clearness; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View ot thestructure in the davenport position. F ig. t is a transverse sectionalview of the structure in the bed position, an intermediate positionbeing indicated in dotted lines; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalview of the device as applied to the convertible settle and table, andalso illustrates a modified form of auxiliary -support which will bedescribed in detail hereafter.

rhe object ot the invention is to secure by a novel arrangement andcombination of parts an inexpensive and stable construction, offeringthe advantages of easy operation, comfort in use, and many others whichwill hereinafter appear.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and et, it will be noted thatvthe base frame of the structure consists ot' a rear panel 1, two endpanels Q, and a front panel 3, which last is ot seat height and forms asupport tor the scat board (i, in the davenport position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17', 1909.

1969. Serial No. 437,376.

l These members may be trained together in any desirable manner, andmight be provided with casters if desired. Supported in this base frameis the bed trame 4;, which in Fig. 3 is represented as standing in avertical position on its side, its open top resting against the backboard 1, and its bottom serving as a hack for the davenport seat. Inthis position its weight is carried upon supporting members 5 attachedin any suitable inanner to the end panels 2 of the base tipping forwardby the seat board 6, attached to the bed frame at the seat line by thehinges T, and carrying near the front edge cleats 8 and 9, engaging thefront panel 3 of the base trame. It will be noted that a slight liftingo1 the seat board will release these cleats 'trom engagement, and allowthe bed trame to be tipped forward for use as a bed. To guide the bedtrame while being one at each end ot the bed fra-me pivoted in thehangers 11 at the lower edge of the trame, and in the hangers 12 at theupper edge of the trout panel 3.

Referring to Fig. et, it will be' noted that as the bed trame is tippedforward the first motion is a rotation about the pivot in hanger 11 as acenter, the seat hoard 6 sliding over the front panel: 3 until the bedtrame rests against said panel 3. From then on until the bed trameassumes a horizontal position the rotation is about the pivot in hanger12. It is highly desirable in order to secure smooth action and avoidscraping and sliding of the various parts, to place the hanger 11 asnear the lower edge of the hed trame and the hanger 12 as near the topedge of the front panel as possible. In the horizontal position the hedtrame will be seen to rest upon the seat board (i, which is in turnsupported upon the front panel 3.

To provide a further support at the outer edge, I use the rigid L-shapedmembers 13, one at each end ot' the bed, pivoted at one extremity to theend pieces 2 of the base traine at 141, and provided at the other eX-tremity with the tongue 15, having a T- shaped head running in a slot 1Gformed in the end of the bed trame 4. Thus, as the bed trame tips 'forYard, the L-shaped members swing' forward, turning about the pivot 141-,while the tongue 15 runs out in the slot 1G, so that one arm ot themember 13 toi-ms thus tipped forward, I provide the links 10,`

trame, and the bed frame is prevented from a leg or lsupport for theouter edge of the bed, while the otheiI arm assumes a positionapproximately horizontal. y

.Pivoted to the top of the bed frame at its ends are the frames 17,preferably of metal tubing. These when raised form the head and footboards for the bed, and when closed and fastened down by straps or byany other of the means in common use, serve to retain the mattress andbed clothes in position, and prevent their derangeme'nt when the bed isfolded up. These frames 17 carry hookshaped catches 18 designed toengage the end panels i?. of the frame when in the bed position. Theythus serve the double purpose of retaining the head and foot boardsupright, and preventing the bed from folding` up by accident.

It will'be noted that in the davenport position the space beneath theseat is entirely vacant, and by the placing of partitions near the endsto preventl interference with the links, this space would be madeavailable for the storage of pillows, extra bed clothing, and the like.

The mode of preparing for use as a bed is as follows: The seat board (iis lifted and the bed frame 4t is tipped forward. As the bed frame irstswings forward, since it has not departed far from the vert-icalposition, very little' weight will be brought upon the operator, butwei'e this rotation continued long the center of gravity of the framewould move out so far as to bring most of the weight upon the operator.Before this can occur, engagement is had with the front panel 3 of thebase frame, which therefore carries most of the weight of the frame, asthe latter is approximately balanced on the former. I thus secure theadvantage of counterbalancing without the use of any weights or springs.Throughout the forward motion of the bed the outer support 13 swingsoutward and assumes its supporting position automatically. The head andfoot boards 17 are next swung to position and latched. Since these headand foot boards provide ample means for preventing derange'ment of thebed while folded up, it is perfectly feasible to make up the bed beforeclosing to the Davenport position, and if this be done, the bed is readyfor use as soon as folded down.

To return the bed to the Davenport position, the operations are simplyreversed, the only point requiring attention being the proper engagementof the cleats on the seat board G with the front panel 3 in order toprevent forward tipping of the bed frame. In the modified form it willof course be necessary after latching the bed frame in position to swingthe auxiliary supporting members upward, there being no means ofeffecting this automatically, as will be explained.

It will be noted that any desirable form of springs might be providedfor use with the bed, so that it could readily be accommodated to thepreferences of the individual user, and that the bed is adapted to theordinary commercial form of springs, thus doing away with the necessityof special manufacture. Furthermore, the springs may be attached in thebed frame, so as to be readily removable for cleaning and the like.

Referring now to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the structures areessentially identical in their general characteristics, whether forminga bed or a table in open position. In Fig. 5 a top has merely been addedto the frame t which in the structure previously described was the bedframe. The positions assumed in the supporting frame are identical andthe links l0 and the hangers 11 and 12 are identical in form andsimilarly located .to those used in the bed structure, and in short theworking parts are identical in general design and method of operation.As before stated, Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of auxiliarysupport. This is designed to eliminate the guiding slot 1G and thetongue 15. In this case the auxiliary supports consist simply ofL-shaped members 13 pivoted to the bed frame at 14, and adapted to beswung downward to a supporting position by hand before the bed or tableportion is drawn out to an open position. As will be seen by referenceto Fig. the general form and position of the supports are identical withthat previously described with the exception of the omission of thetongue. provided with cups or recesses 19 adapted to receive theupwardly projecting ends of the auxiliary supports and prevent lateraldisplacement thereof. After the table or bed frame has been swung to theclosed position it is of course necessary to swing the auxiliarysupports upward manually.

I particularly call attention to the fact that either form of auxiliarysupports is adapted for use with the bed structure and with the tablestructure.

In case it is yintended that in the open position the device shall formsimply a table, the frame 4 might be made more shallow or otherwisevaried in its proportions, but as these are matters solely of dimensionthey need not be discussed at length.

The arm portions of the end panels 2 might be omitted, but in that casethe auxiliary supports would serve as arms when folded up. In this waythe structure in the closed position would form a chair or seat.

Having thus described the invention, what I -claim is 1. Aninterchangeable davenport and bed comprising in combination a supportingframe having a front member at seat height; a bed .frame adapted to formthe back of a The bed or table frame is davenport seat; links pivotallyconnected to the bed frame near a lower edge thereof; and to the frontmember of the supporting frame near the seat line; a seat member hingedto the bed frame; cleats on said seat member to engage the front memberof the supporting frame; an auxiliary bed support pivoted on thesupporting frame and having a tongue running in a slot formed in the bedframe; members pivotally mounted on the bed frame and adapted to formhead and foot boards; and latches for holding these hinged members in araised posit-ion and locking the bed frame in a bed position.

Q. An interchangeable davenportand bed comprising in combination asupporting frame having a front member at seat height; a bed frameadapted to form the back of a davenport seat; links pivotally connectedto the bed frame near a lower edge thereof, and to the front member ofthe supporting' frame near the seat line; seat member hinged to the bedframe; cleats on said seat member to engage the front member of thesupporting frame; an auxiliary bed support pivoted on the suliporting`frame.; members pivotally mounted on the bed frame and adapted to formhead and foot boards; and latches for holding these hinged members in araised position and locking the bed frame in a bed position.

8. ln a folding bed structure in combination with a movable bed frame; abase frame having a front member adapted to support the bed when inlowered position; links pivotally connected to the bed frame near alower edge thereof and to the front member of the supporting frame nearits upper edge; and auxiliary bed supports to carry the outer edge ofthe bed, the said supports being brought to a supporting position by theopening' movement of the bed frame.

d. ln a folding bed structure in combination with a movable bed frame; abase frame having a front member adapted to support the bed when in alowered position; links pivotally connected to the bed frame near alower edge thereof and to the front member of the supporting frame nearits upper edge; and auxiliary bed supports to carry the outer edge ofthe bed.

5. A folding' ed structure comprising in combination, a movable bedframe, a base frame having a forward bed supporting member; and linkspivotally connected to the forward supporting member of the frame and tothe bed frame, the point` of connection with the base frame beingforward from and above to the point of connection with the bed framewhen the bed frame is in the folded position.

G. Interchangeable furniture comprising in combination a supportingframe having a front member at about seat height; a movable frameadapted to form the back of a seat; links pivotally connected to themovable frame near a lower edge thereof, and to the front member of thesupporting` frame near the seat line; a seat member hinged to themovable frame; cleats on said seat member engaging with the front memberof the supporting frame; and an auxiliary support pivoted on thesupporting frame and provided with a tongue running in a slot in themovable frame.

7. Interchangeable furniture comprising in combination a supportingframe having a front member at about seat height; a movable frameadapted to form the back of a seat; links pivotally connected to themovable frame near a lower edge thereof, and to the front member of thesupporting frame near the seat line; a seat member hinged to the movableframe; cleat-s on said seat member engaging with the front member of thesupporting frame; and an auxiliary support pivoted on the supportingframe.

8. ln combination with a supporting frame and a movable frame mountedtherein, an auxiliary support comprising a rigid' i shaped memberpivoted at the extremity of one of its arms to the supporting frame nearthe bottom thereof, and free of any connection intermediate its ends;said member being adapted to be swung out so that the other arm assumesan upright position beneath the movable frame to support the latter.

9. In combination with Aa supporting frame and a movable frame mountedtherein, an auxiliary support comprising a rigid l-shaped member pivotedat the extremity of one of its arms to the supporting frame near thebottom thereof7 Vand having at the extremity of its second arm a tonguerunning in a slot in the movable frame, whereby said second arm isguided-to an upright supporting position as the movable frame is foldeddown.

l0. In combination with a supporting frame and a movable frame mountedtherein; an auxiliary support comprising a rigid L-shaped member pivotedat the extremity of one of its arms to the supporting frame near thebottom thereof, and adapted to be swung out so that the other armassumes an upright position beneath the movable frame to support thelatter; and means carried by said movable frame and engaging theextremity of said supporting arm to prevent lateral displacement of thelatter when the L-shaped member is turned outwardly into supportingposition.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK H. HENNING. lVitnesses JOHN Boren, P. H. PAPE.

